Box or crate.



(. G. HGKEY & F. J. BAIRD.

BOX 0R CRATE,

APPLICATION FILED PEB.10,1914.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

514 UQMTQLS James 6. Heidi/ey, Fred. 1 Baird 9 Q'N MLN @Hoz/ump QR) i Mmmm UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE.

JAMES G. HICKEY`AND FRED J'. BAIRD, OF .TAC)KSOIFVILLEI, FLORIDA.

:BOX 0R CRATE.

*Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

Application led February 10, 1914. Serial 11a-817,912.

T0 all whom, it may concern:

Be 1t known that we, JAMES G. Hicken-. and Fnnn J. Banu), citizens of the United packed in a crate or box to give full measure without heaping them. Considerable or excessive pressure is then exerted upon the cover or lid of the box or crate While the saine is being secured in place, to bring such cover or lid into a position contiguous with the body portion of the box or crate. It is the present practice, as far as we are aware, to secure thel cover or lidto the body portion of the box or crate at the ends Aof the body portion and between the ends thereof, by relatively rigid or non-extensible means, whereby the cover or lid cannot bulge outwardly between its ends but remains comparatively flat so that the considerable or excessive pressure remains upon the oranges for a protracted period, such as during their shipment, with the result that they are not infrequently bruised or damaged.

l.Ve have discovered that the compression of the oranges during the process of securing the cover or lid to the body portion of the box or crate, will not injure the same, provided that such compression does notremain thereon for a protracted length of time. XVe have therefore, provided means whereby the cover or lid of the body portion of the box or crate may bulge or bend outwai-illy, to vpermit of the expansion of the oranges, yafter the pressure has been removed from the lid. The means is of such a character that while it permits of ther bulging or outward movement of the lid or cover yet the same yieldingly opposes such movement, whereby a slight yielding pressure is permanently maintained upon the oranges within the box or crate, holding the same against shaking movement therein, whereby the same are not liable to be bruised or injured.

An important object of the invention is to provide means of the above mentioned character, which. is simple in construction,

l.inexpensive to manufacture, convenient in use, strong and durable.

A further object of the invention is to lprovide means of the abovementioned character, which serves the double function of permanently connecting parts of the crate or box when in the knocked down condition, and yieldingly opposing the outward or bulging movement of the lid or cover, when the parts of the crate or box are assembled.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a plan view of the side, bottom, and top portions of the box, in their knock-down condition, F'g. 2 is a side elevation of thefbox with the top or lid thereof bulged or outwardly distended, and, Fig. 3 is a transverse 'sectional v1ew taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In its preferred embodiment, the crate or box comprises a Hoor or bottom 10,' sides 11 and l2, anda top or lid 13, as shown. Each of the members l() to 13 inclusive, is preferably provided upon its exterior surface with transverse 'reinforcing strips 11 and 15, ar-

ranged at the opposite ends thereof and at a point preferably equi-distantly spaced .from such opposite ends, as shown. The

members 10 to 13 inclusive are preferably Istrung together or e'xibly and permanently connected atv their opposite ends by relatively non-extensible tying elements or wires 1.6, attached thereto by means of staples 17 or like means, preferably engaging the reinforcing strips 14, as shown. The members 10 to 13 inclusive are further connected at Ipoints substantially equi-distantly spaced from the opposite ends thereof by means of a relatively non-extensible tying element or wire 18, provided with resilient or longitudinally extensible portions, to be hereinafter described, to permit of the lateral or outward bulging of the top or cover 13, as will be more fully explained. The tying element' 18 is connected or attached with the memf'bers l0 to 13 inclusive, by means of staples 19 or the like, preferably engaging the rein* forcing strips 15, as shown. The resilient or longitudinally extensible portions of the tying element or wire 18 comprises loops or bent portions 20, formed therein, adjacent and preferably upon both sides of the longitudinal edges of the lid or cover, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. 'llhe crate or box further comprises ends or heads 21 and preferably a partition 22, serving to divide the same into a plurality of compartments.

ln assembling the parts of the crate or box, the ends or heads 21 and partition 22 are arranged and spaced upon the door or'A bottom 10 and the sides 11 and 12 are swung upwardly in engagement therewith, these parts being preferably secured together in the assembled condition by means of nails 23 or the like, preferably passing through the reinforcing strips 14 and 15, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2. The cover or lid 13 is hing-ed to the body portion of the box, thus assembled,and maybe assumed as being in the open position, whereby the body portion.r of the box may be heaped full with the oranges whereby the oranges extend a substantial distance above the upper longitudinal edges of the sides 11 and 12, as is obvious. rlhe cover or lid 13 is `next swung to its closed position in engagement with the upper layer of oranges and is held thereby spaced a substantial distance from the upper longitudinal edges of the sides 11 and 12. Substantial or excessive pressure is now exerted upon this cover or lid, at the opposite ends thereof and at a point substantially equi-distantly spaced between such ends,

A1whereby the cover or lid is moved downwardly to lie flat u on the upper longitudinal edges of the si es 11. and 12. The free end 21 (see Fig. 2) of the relatively nonextensible tying elements or wires 16 are attached to the reinforcing strips 14: adjacent the opposite ends of these wires, by means of a staple 22 or other suitable means. The `free end 23 of the relatively non-extensible tying element or wire 18, provided with the resilient or longitudinally extensible portions 20, is attached tothe strip 15 adjacent the opposite end thereof, by

. means of a staple 24, or other suit-able means.

Upon the pressure being remo-ved from the cover or lid 13, the opposite ends thereof will be held in the inner position adjacent the upper longitudinal edges of the sides 11 and 12 and permitted to partake of slight or perceptible longitudinal movements while the intermediate portion of the cover or lid 13 will be forced upwardly or outwardly to assume a bulging position, such cover or lid being suitably resilient for this purpose. The portions or loops 20 of the tying elealiases ment or wire 18 are suciently resilient to allow of this bulging action of the intermediate portion of the cover or lid 13, and are suitably stiff to properly yieldingly oppose the movement of the intermediate portion of the cover or lid 13, whereby the oranges are held against shaking movement @therein by a slight permanent pressure which will not bruise or injure them. llt should be noted that the tying wires or elements serve to string or connect the members to the box or crate, when in their knockdown condition, while one of them serves to yieldingly oppose the outward movement of the cover or lid, due to the expansion of the oranges, one wire serving two functions.

lt is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shownand described is to be taken as a preferred example of the samefand that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resort ed to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having. fully described our invention, what we claim is 1. A crate or box of the character described, comprising a body portion embodying, a bottom, sides and a lid, tying elements flexibly connecting these parts to gethcr when in their knocked down condition and when assembled, and one of the tying elements being provided adjacentthe lid with a loop portion which is resilient and longitudinally extensible.

2. A crate or box of the character de scribed, comprising a body portion, a lid therefor, relatively non-extensible tying wires surrounding the opposite ends of the box to securely hold the ends (of the lid from movement away from the body portion, and a relatively non-extensible tying wire sur rounding the box at a point substantially equi-distantly spaced from the opposite ends of the box and provided with resilient and longitudinally extensible loop portions arranged adjacent the opposite longitudinal I edges of the lid.`

' 1n testimony whereof .we aliix our signa- 105 tures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES G. HCKEY. FRED J. BArllltD.

i Witnesses:

Don Ptnsis'rnm E. B. Donnnnn. 

